By Anne Fonda with expert review by a Trane Residential HVAC Training Manager

Walking into the chill of a well-air-conditioned house on a sweltering summer day can’t be beat. It feels great. But air conditioning can offer more than comfort. According to a study published in the Journals of Gerontology, for the elderly, a working air conditioning system is essential to their health. 

But it takes work to keep your central air conditioning system operating at peak performance. That’s why you need to partner with a local HVAC company you can trust. 

Much like finding a dentist you like or a mechanic you trust to fix your car, finding the right HVAC company takes some work. Ask local family, friends, and neighbors who they use to service their HVAC system. Ask if there’s an HVAC company you should avoid. 

Check out the company websites and read reviews. Are they responsive? Do they provide emergency AC repair? If you’re not happy with the first company you choose, continue to do your homework and hire someone else next time. 

For more tips, read our blog How to Find the Best HVAC Service Near Me. 

Our Trane dealers are carefully selected, and their staff undergo continuing education and training to help ensure they are always up to date or even ahead of the curve on HVAC technology and industry changes. You can trust them to provide air conditioning services, including maintenance, repair, and installation, as well as a full range of HVAC services. 

Regular maintenance of your air conditioning system has many important benefits, including: 

• Regular AC maintenance can catch small AC problems before they become big ones 
• Regular maintenance can prevent costly AC repairs 
• Regular air conditioning service can help optimize your home comfort 
• Regular AC service can help keep your system running smoothly and more efficiently, lowering your energy bills 

The cost of home AC maintenance is nominal compared to the money you can save on repair bills and utility bills.  

For most homeowners, once a year in the spring before cooling season begins, should be fine. However, if your air conditioning runs 9-10 months out of the year, you might consider more frequent AC service.  

Consider signing up for an HVAC maintenance plan, also known as a service agreement or service contract. This may save you money on service call fees, give you priority service, a discount on parts, and offer other perks. 

You could, but we would advise against it. An untrained homeowner could do more harm than good by trying to get into the inner workings of their cooling system. If your AC unit is still under warranty, taking the DIY route for anything except changing the filter and keeping the area around the outdoor unit clear could cause you headaches, or, at worst. void your warranty. You should trim shrubbery and foliage to be at least two feet away from the unit for proper airflow. 

This can vary from company to company. They may provide a checklist on their website. But according to ENERGY STAR®’s maintenance checklist,  annual air conditioner maintenance should include: 

• Checking thermostat function and settings 
• Tightening electrical connections 
• Measuring voltage and amps to pinpoint electrical issues 
• Cleaning and adjusting the blower motor and fan 
• Lubricating moving parts 
• Inspecting and cleaning the AC condensate drain line and drain pan as needed 
• Checking system controls 
• Checking and cleaning the outdoor condenser coil and indoor evaporator coil if needed 
• Checking the refrigerant level and performing an AC recharge as needed after trying to locate a refrigerant leak 
• Changing the air filter if needed 
• Other tasks, depending on your system 

Some HVAC companies may charge extra to clean the coils, and any replacement parts will cost extra.

There are some telltale signs that you may need to schedule AC repair services. But before placing the call, check your thermostat and change the air filter. These two things just might save you the cost of a service call.  

Common reasons you might need air conditioning repair include: 

• AC not turning on 
• AC fan not working 
• AC won’t turn off 
• AC not blowing cold air 
• AC leaking water 
• AC short cycling 
• Refrigerant leak 
• Evaporator coil is frozen 

You can read each of the linked troubleshooting articles for tips on things you can do yourself before calling your HVAC service provider. 

Anne Fonda, Content Writer

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A Content Writer with Trane Technologies, Anne Fonda researches topics and writes for Trane® and associated residential HVAC brands. She works in collaboration with Trane Technologies subject matter experts, offering easy-to-understand, informative content on complex topics. Her goal is to help consumers make informed decisions on the products and services they need.

She has written for HVAC and other service provider websites for over 16 years. Before transitioning to web content writing, Anne had a 14-year stint as an award-winning journalist. She graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.

When she’s not working, Anne enjoys playing word games, reading, gardening, spending time with family, and visiting gardens and museums.